Aries was the patron god of the city of Sparta. He was the god of war. Have students come up with a Greek god of their own. Students should choose some sort of hobby or personal interest to be represented by their god. Give students examples of what the Greek gods looked like and what they represented. Once students have an idea of what their god is going to represent, have them sculpt their god out of clay. Once the sculptures are done, students can write up a short description of what their god represents.
Sparta was well known for its military strength. Have students draw what they think the city of Sparta looked like back in the time of the Mycenaean War when Sparta first came about. Have students focus more on depicting daily life, building structures, people in traditional dress and environmental landmarks rather than depicting the invasion. This art project could be easily tied to teaching Greek history.
Men were not the only ones expected to be great warriors in Sparta. Girls in Sparta were also trained for athletic feats and battles. If men were away at war, their wives were expected to protect their husband’s property from invaders and were thus depicted as warriors in Greek art. Have students paint a portrait of themselves as a warrior. Give them examples of traditional clothing and weapons associated with Spartan warriors. Explain to students the importance of both female and male warriors in Spartan civilization and how females were treated differently in Sparta than in other Greek cities like Athens.
An important part of being a warrior is fighting and protecting oneself. Shields were a source of protection for warriors. Have students create their own shields out of cardboard and construction paper. Students can decorate their shields with shapes, abstract designs and images of personal interest. Have them present their shields to their classmates and explain why they included certain designs on their shields.